Kansas StreamLink
...a watershed exploration
StreamLink Collaborator
Sunflower Elementary
tributary of Bull Creek

Date: 5/15/03
Time: 8:30-11am
GPS Coordinates: 39° 17.747', W 94° 55.784'
Elevation: 883 ft

Visual Assessment

Weather in the past 24 hours:
showers, overcast, clear/sunny
Weather Today: clear/sunny

Major Land Uses in the watershed:
Parking lots, paved driveways, roads; Golf courses, manicured lawns, or city parks; Cropland; Active grazing land &/or feedlots; Construction

Trash at the Creek:
Broken glass, cans
Animals at the Creek: Frogs, Snakes, birds
Animals in the Creek: Water Boatmen or Back Swimmers, tadpoles

Stream Bank Cover (1 is the least, 8 is the greatest):
Left Bank:
Concrete (4), Big rocks/rip rap (7), Bare soil or sand (3), Grasses (6), Woody shrubs/small trees (5), Big trees (8), Lawn (0)
Right Bank: Concrete (0), Big rocks/rip rap (8), Bare soil or sand (0), Grasses (6), Woody shrubs/small trees (5), Big trees (0), Lawn (7)

Stream Bank Conditions:
Left Bank:
Gentle Slope
Right Bank:
Gentle Slope

Habitat Types: Pools, Riffles, Runs
Shape of the Channel: Narrow banks (< 6 feet), shallow Water (< 3 feet), Banks (<3 feet)

What's in the water?:
Naturally Occurring:
Large branches or logs; Sticks or twigs
Human Impact:

Is the creek in the sunshine or shade?:
Sun

What type of algae are present?:

Algae Present: Algae in spots
Type of Algae: Algae matted on rocks

Conditions in your stream: No unusual color

Embeddedness (How much silt is around the rocks, 1 is the least, 4 is the greatest): 4
Content of the Stream Bed (1 is the least, 5 is the greatest): Mud (0), Silt (0), Sand (0), Gravel (0), Cobbles (3), Boulders (0), Bedrock (0), Cement platform (0)



Chemical Assessment

Temperature: 26 C
Dissolved Oxygen:
4 ppm
Percent Oxygen Saturation: 49%
Nitrate:
5 ppm
Phosphate:
2 ppm
pH:
8
Turbidity: 0 JTU
Total Coliforms:
x
Biological Oxygen Demand: x ppm
Stream Flow: x m/s


Macroinvertebrate Assessment

Sensitive Species: grilled snails, stonefly nymphs
Somewhat Sensitive Species: crayfish, sowbug
Tolerant Species: midge larvae, pouch snails, blackfly larvae

How many times did your group sample with the kick net?: #

Water Quality Determination (as calculated from number of species present): 11
Scale: Excellent (>22), Good (17-22), Fair (11-16), Poor (<11)

StreamLink Collaborators are in no way conducting professional water quality sampling. The information gathered is for educational purposes only. Students across Kansas share their creek experiences via the internet. If you have concerns about your water, please contact your local drinking water supplier or the KS Dept. of Health & Environment.